As I began settling into the permanent home for the Lingamish franchise, I started thinking that I have neglected to award a Lingy to some of my favorite people. These people have stuck with me through thick and thin and consistently read my blog and encourage me through commenting. No commenters–No blog. So why haven’t I recognized these people before?
I’ve always lived by the journalistic saw, “Never write down to your readers. Anyone dumber than you can’t read.” But felicitously, I have discovered myself surrounded by a gang of big-hearted and big-brained commenters. Some folks have trouble with trolls and spam. I have to be my own troll just because everyone else is so downright Christian. I’ve been struggling in the social media flood waters lately and when I was about to get gobbled by the crocodile, it was my commenters who lifted me to safety. Thanks for the lift.
1. Two buddies
Peter Kirk and Eclexia
At one time I thought these two might be heading toward the Love Boat. But Peter is engaged to someone else and I’m not allowed to publicly discuss eclexia’s romantic exploits. These two are always calling my bluff, seeing things from a different angle and being friendly.
Special shout-out to Peter, the top commenter on this blog: 580 at last count! Next time I’m in London, you will come to the airport!!!
2. Two wits
Scott Gray and Mike Sangrey
Punsters and funsters with brains that work twice as fast as the average mortal. They always make me smile and think.
3. Two f(riend)(eminist)s
Jane Stranz and JK Gayle
My editor and my buddy. These two are great writers, great thinkers and regularly visit and leave positive comments.
4. Two islanders
Tim Bulkeley and Thainamu
These are my avuncular/auntly mentors. Both with years of mission experience and cross-cultural insights. Both have active imaginations and ambitions despite their advancing years (Just kidding!).
5. A cast of curious characters
MtJeff, Ben Byerly, steph, Rombo, Scripture Zealot, Mike Aubrey, Chuck Grantham and more.
These people comment regularly and include my Dad, some MKs, Africans and fellow drug addicts.
6. The Lurkers
A hundred or so people read this blog every day but only a fraction comment. Thanks for keeping my statistics up even if you seldom come out of hiding to say hi.
7. The three E-migos: Old Friends, now moved on
I don’t begrudge these folks for not commenting on my blog as much as they used to. Tastes change. FacebookLife gets busy. Heretical hippos can grate on the nerves. But I have to admit that I miss Esteban, Eddie and ElShaddai.
8. And you?
Have you been longing for a Lingy? Well, just leave at least six hundred comments on my blog over the next four years and you might bump Peter out of the top spot. His bride-to-be is no doubt far more comment-worthy than this old blog.
You Lingy winners are welcome to print out this picture and display it with pride. Or you can send me a SASE and I’ll send it to you.
The Fail Hippo (Inspired by the Twitter Fail Whale, of course!)
[...] And check out: http://lingamish.com, it’s got a artsy, easy-to-use design with lots of new bells-and-whistles to make it easy to find information you’re looking for as well as share Lingamish on Facebook, Twitter and more. And I’ve just announced the latest Lingy awards. [...]
A SASE? Have you moved again?
Also, nice new format.
Congrats on your new site. And I love the pic of your Mom and you (just realized that her birthday is that same as my son’s – tough post there, remembering, grieving, my friend! blessed are the mourners because . . . ).
But that moving notice pic — it’s got us all scratching our heads! Three guys and only one girl with her pushed to the far back seat? What kind of message are you sending? Well, at least you’ve moved on from that kind of sexism. We’ll not look at that old site again.
(p.s. The only reason I comment on your lingamish site is for the Lingys. Glad you finally figured that out. Thanks, your buddy, the proud wearer of a hippo tshirt.)
Three guys for every girl… It’s a Beach Girls song, heartily approved by feminists everywhere. That picture looks like they’re about to run their boat into a tree and two of the guys are holding hands. So yes it is strange.
Only 599 more to go…
Really admire the new site and have tweeted it. Amazed also at your energy and commitment to renewing the blog and your brand. The stuff about tumblr and word press to keep track of web crumbs is interesting – one day when I have time will have to get into that or get Dr B to do it for me! (ah we feminists
where would we be without our men!)
Thought of the lingapotamus over the weekend while listening to a podcast of “in our time” all about whales – apparently whales and hippos have a common mammalian evolutionary ancestor.
Anyway really like the new layout and concept, really good.
Wow – major overhaul. Looks good (and from the other positive remarks, I get the impression that it’s beneficial for your more frequent commenters). Not sure yet what the major benefit for “yours truly average lurker” would be. I had subscribed to the daily feed so I wouldn’t have to go to your site regularly (difficult with slow internet) but receive it by (in my case more reliable) email – yet now I’m wondering whether that’ll be sufficient … ?!?
The info level and speed of the blog world still stresses me out occasionally …
Sorry that I cannot commit to being more enthusiastic – you definitely would deserve that!
Thanks for the award. Yes, my bride-to-be is very comment-worthy, from me only (only one guy for this girl please), and I am working on the 600+ affirming comments. But the airport I have to come to next may not be in London. Watch this space, or my blog. By the way, any tips on Africa-friendly Internet streaming of a wedding service?
[...] Ker has made a good start with his new look Lingamish blog by giving me a Lingy award, for being his buddy and his number one commenter, and despite the failure of his attempts to pair [...]
Oliver, if you click on this link you will have the option of subscribing by email:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/lingamish
Let me know if that works or you need any help.
Thanks, David, for the explanation and the link. However, that doesn’t seem to be necessary as my previous feed subscription seems to have carried over from your old site. So, I’m still receiving the updates by email.
David, I think I’ll treat this as an invitation to Spam you. So, do you want 599 comments advertising Facebook, Mac’s, Pre-translated Nyungwe Bibles, JavaScript Lingapotamus Blogmates, hippo feed, or Spam filters? Your choice. But no, I do not promise to accept your choice.
i am greatly moved by your bestowment of a lingy upon me.
what is the weather like where you are? do you have wet and dry seasons, and the like?
what foods do you miss the most?
You deserve it.
It’s dry and smokey right now. We’re all coughing. The weather is turning cold 50F in the morning 80F at noon.
I miss the menu at Rendezvous Grill in Welches, Oregon.
david–
i just checked out the menu on line. looks good! i’ve just learned how to make good risotto, and i’m going to file the serial numbers off of a couple of their recipes and pass them off as my own tonite at dinner.
do you make risotto where you are? is rice a staple in your neck of the woods, or is some other grain the foundation of people’s carb needs?
why’s it smokey? are wanton trees aflame, or are people heating inefficiently with wood? is there a hippo revolt on of some sort? inquiring minds want to know!
scott
Winter is the dry season. Until about October we won’t have any rain so it’s very dusty (although not as bad here as it is in a big city like Tete). And it’s smokey because people are continually burning piles of garbage as well as fields in preparation for harvest. I think the barometric pressure and lack of wind keeps the smoke close to the ground.
No risotto here. Our principal grains are white flour, rice, and white maize flour which it smells like we’re having for lunch as ntsima.
Hilary makes scratch pizza every Friday night that rivals anything Tom makes at the Rendezvous. Enjoy your dinner and toast your friends in Africa!
i was hoping it was a hippo revolt. i have a limerick for that one.
Um, I meant to say its a hippo revolt.
“ken,” adair said, “somethings funny.
my head aches and nose is all runny.”
“it’s the smoke in the fields–
folks improving their yields.”
seems a tough way to make any money.
“you’re a hippo,” ken said to adair.
“you’d skip over cash for clean air.”
“we could stage a revolt,
stamp the fields, make men bolt!”
“or go find a cool stream and get bare.”